Small gold miners seek strategic partners

Business Reporters
SMALL-SCALE gold miners are seeking strategic partnerships to improve viability, mining standards and ensure their activities are conducted professionally. This call was made during the relaunch of Gold Miners’ Association of Zimbabwe, an organisation that represents the interests of small-scale miners in Harare yesterday.

The organisation stopped operations in 2009.

GMAZ president Mr Martin Mugawu said the association’s vision was to empower small-scale miners to become technically sound and move away from semi-primitive and constrained mining methods.

“The mobilisation of resources to capacitate miners is a prime goal for the association,” said Mr Mugawu. “Equally important is the close co-operation of miners with all ministries that regulate mining operations. He added that efforts by GMAZ were aimed at buttressing the Government’s economic blueprint, ZimAsset, through a gold mining revolution to be led by small-scale miners.

GMAZ chief executive Mr Irvin Chinyenze said the association’s membership was more than capable of producing at least a tonne of gold per month if adequately funded and with the right technical support.

“Zimbabwe has over 10 000 small-scale miners and if these miners are well equipped, with sound financial support, producing a tonne of gold per month would be easily achievable.”

“As we celebrate this rebirth, we also present an opportunity to investors from within and across our borders to partner us through this gold mining revolution,” he said.

The association was formed in 2004 and closed in 2009 due to dwindling membership. Its relaunch is hinged on the Government’s efforts to legalise artisanal miners who are expected to contribute to the country`s economic development.

The small-scale miners are seeking for partnerships in areas such as information communication technology for greater efficiencies afforded by near realtime information dissemination as well as infrastructure development.